Apparatus for manufacturing tiles.



PATENTED JULY 9, 1907. J. R. MILLER & U. S. HUGGINS. APPARATUS FORMANUFACTURING TILES.

APPLICATION EILED MAY 17. 1907.

1 I a #9 315 17 3d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH R. MILLER, OF MORGANTOWN, Al lD ULYSSE S S. HUGGINS, OF WESTON,WEST VIRGINIA.

* APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 9, 1907.

Application filed May 1"] 1907. Serial No. 374,122.

' of Lewis, State of West Virginia, citizens of the United States, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for ManufacturingTiles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing tiles havingone face formed with under-cut projections which constitute clenchersfor retaining the tile in the position set; and the object thereof is toprovide a machine of such class in a manner as hereinafter set forth toenable the completing of the tile at one operation, thereby overcomingthe necessity of grinding smoothly the ends and sides of the tile afterthe under-cut projections have been formed, as is the case in machinesfor manufacturing tiles 110w in general use. This completing of the tileat one operation facilitates the manufacture thereof, increases theoutput and decreases the cost of the article for the reason that itovercomes the necessity of grinding the sides and ends of the tile, suchoperation incurring time, labor and expense.

-With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists ofthe novel construction, combina tion and arrangement of partshereinaftermore specifically described and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, wherein is shown the preferred embodinlent of theinvention, but it is to .be understood that changes, variations andmodifications can be resorted to which come within the scope of theclaims hereunto appended. I In describing an apparatus for manufacturingtiles in accordance with this invention, reference is had to theaccompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts throughout the several views and in which Figure lis a sectional elevation of the mold and plunger or die of theapparatus; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the apparatus; Fig. '3 is aperspective view of the completed article.

Referring to the drawings, 1 denotes a plurality of supports for a tabletop 2. The supports maybe mounted, if desired, upon suitable rollers sothat the machine can be transported from one point to another. Therollers are not shown for the reason that such mounting of the supportsis obvious-and is usually.

employed in machines of the class to which this invention relates. Eachside of the tabletop (only one side thereof is shown) is formed with adepending portion 3 which constitute hangers or bearings for thesupporting shaft 4, the latter being journaled in the depending portions3. The shaft 4 on each end thereof carries a shifting disk 5 (only oneshown) which, when oscillated, is adapted to operate the apparatus. Theoperating handle 6 is provided and is connected at its lower end, as at6, to one of the disks 5.

The apparatus further comprises a reciprocatory cross-head 7 slidingupon the inclined guide rods 8, (only one of which is shown). There is aguide rod arranged at each 'side of the table and at its lower end issecured to a segment-shaped member 9 loosely mounted upon the shaft 4.Carried by the segment-shaped member 9 is a pair of headed adjustingbolts 10 having screw-threaded ends upon which are mounted the clampingnuts 11. The bolts 10 are adapted to extend through and are shiftablewithin a segment-shaped slot 12 formed in the depending extension 3. Themembers 9are adjustable upon the shaft 4 so as to enable the positioningof the guide rods 8 at any desirable inclination, and as the cross-head7 is connected to the guide rods 8 it will also be shifted in unisonwith said rods. When the nuts 11 are released the segmentshaped members10 can be moved towards the front or to the rear of the table and whenthe desired adjustment has been obtained, the members 9 are clamped insuch position by screwing home the nuts 11.

To the cross-head 7, through the medium of the clamping nuts 13, issecured a die or plunger carrier 14. The latter is also attached to atransversely-extending guide rod 15 which slides upon the inclined guiderods 8, suitable openings being provided in the ends of the rod 15 toallow of the mounting of the same upon the rods 8. Pivoted to the guiderod 15 is a pair of coupling dogs 16 (only one of which is shown). Thefunction of the dogs is to couple the die or plunger 17 to the carrier14 when the said dogs are moved to coupling position. The dogs 16 aremoved to coupling position by a shiftable and interiorly-threaded collar18 having a beveled periphery and which is mounted upon thescrew-threaded portion 18 of the carrier 14. By moving the member 18downwardly it will cause the upper ends of the dogs 16 to moveoutwardly, the inner ends to move inwardly and engage over the beveledshoulders 17 of the die or plunger 17 so that the latter will be coupledto the carrier and by such construction it is evident that when thecross-head 7 is reciprocated, a like movement will be imparted to thecarrier 14 and plunger 17, the cross-head, carrier and plunger moving inunison, the cross-head sliding upon the rods 8, the rod 15 also beingreciprocated simultaneously with the cross-head owing to the fact thatit is connected to the carrier 14.

The cross-head 7 is reciprocated through the medium of a pair of links19 (only one is shown), which are pivotally connected at the upper endsto the cross-head 7, as at 20, and at the lower ends to the disks 5, asat 21. From such an arrangement a reciprocatory movement will beimparted to the cross-head 7 when the disks 5 are oscillated in bothdirections.

The die or plunger 17 is positioned at an inclination, but has a flatworking surface 17, and such face is provided with a series of elongatednotches 22, which extend at an angle with respect to the workingface 17one wall of each of the notches extending at a greater inclination thanthe other wall thereof, so that when the die or plunger. 17 is broughtagainst the material within the mold 23, a series of inclined or uncutprojections or ribs will be formed in one face of the tile.

The reference character 23 denotes the mold which is mounted upon thetable top 2. The receiving portion of the mold for the material isindicated by the reference character 23* and the top of the mold body isprovided with a groove 24 to receive the offset 25 depending from thelower face of theguide. plate 26. The latter is formed with acentrally-arranged opening with the walls thereof, as at 27, inclined atthe same angle in which the plunger or die 17 extends. The opening inthe guide plate 26 is such that the walls 27 thereof will fit theplunger snugly, but will not be too tight to retard the operation of theplunger. ing through the guide plate 26 is of such diameter with respectto the receiving portion 23' of the mold as to cause the plate toover-hang the top of said receiving portion, as at 28, consequently suchover-hanging portion-will form the tile 29 when completedwith a smoothmarginal portion 30 extending entirely around the inner face thereof.Supported upon the plate 26 through the medium of the inclined supports32, 33, (the-latter being of less height than the former-,) isan'auxiliary guide plate 36 through which the-plunger or die 17' passes.The supports 32, 33 may be formed integral with the auxiliary guideplate 24, as well as the main guide plate 26, or may be connected withthe two plates in any other suitable manner.

The providing of the couplingdogs 16 affords means whereby the plungercan be detachably connected to the carrier. Such arrangement allows forthe connecting to the carrier of plungers having their working facesprovided with notches ofvarying inclinations, so as to enable thechanging of the angle of the undercut projections which are to be formedin the tile. The guide plate26 is also removable so thatother guideplates with the walls of the opening at varying inclinations can beemployed so that the necessary guide plate to fit the inclination orangle through which the plunger or die 17 extends can be readily set up,thereby obtaining a satisfactory operation of the die or plunger.

The interchangeability of' the guide plates dies or plungers enables theforming of projections or ribs on the inner face of the tile 29 atvarious inclinations so that the apparatus is not limited to themanufacture of tiles provided with ribs or projections extending at butThe openone angle. The adjustability of the guide rods 8 also providesmeansso that said rods can extend at the angle in which the plungerextends.

The walls of the receiving portion of the mold may be fluted or providedwith any suitable configuration so that the tile, which is completed atone operation, will be ornamented or formed with spacing projections.

It is evident that the apparatus as hereinbefore set forth, provides amachine whereby a tile is completed at one operation and overcomes thenecessity of grinding off the sides and ends of the tile after theunder-cut projections are formed, as is the case with machines now ingeneral use. The overcoming of the necessity of grinding off the tiledecreases the cost of manufacture of the article, as well as vastlyincreasing the output without additional expense.

Although the apparatus is especially designed for the manufacture ofglass tiles, yet it is to be understood that the apparatus is thoroughlyapplicable for the manufacture of tiles of any suitable plasticmaterial.

What we claim is 1. An apparatus of the class referred to, embodying areciprocatory cross-head adjustable to various inclinations, and aplunger connected with the cross head and extend ing at the sameinclination and having a'fiat working face provided with: a plurality ofelongated notches extending at an angle with respect to the said workingface.

2. An apparatus of the character described, comprising the combinationwith a mold, of a plunger extending at an inclination and having a flatworking face provided with angularly-disposed notches, a reciprocatorycross-head for operating the plunger, and means for adjusting saidcrosshead at an inclination to position it with respect to the directionof inclination in which the plunger extends.

3. A machine for manufacturing tiles comprising lDtGl changeableplungerseach extending at a-different inclination, .interchangeableguideplates provided with an, opening'with the walls of one opening in' oneguide plate extending at a dilferent inclination with respect to the inclination in which the walls of the openings of the other guide platesextend, the inclinations of the walls of the openings in' the guideplatesconforming. to the angle in which the plunger-s extend, areciprocatory cross-head adapted to be detachably connected to theplungers, guide rods for the cross-head, means for angularly adjustingthe guide rods and cross-head to position them at the same angleinwhich. a plunger extends, and means connected with the crosshead forreciprocating it.

. for forming in connection with the mold a tile with undercutprojections, a cross-head extending at an inclination and connected Withthe plunger for operating it, and means connected to the cross-head forreciprocating it.

An apparatus for'formingt'iles' comprising the combination with a moldand a guide mounted thereon and over-hanging the receiving portion ofthe mold of an inclined plunger extending through said guide and havinga flat working face provided with notches, and an angularly adjustablemeans for operating the plunger.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in -presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

JOSEPH R. MILLER. ULYSSES S. HUGGINS.

Witnesses:

M. A. DAVIS, CHAS. P. SWINT.

